Sabahan Tapai – It’s Good Stuff and it’s not Tuak!

So one of Pats’ friends came back from Sabah I think, or somewhere over that side of East Malaysia, and brought is a bottle of Tapai, or local Rice Wine (Tuak is from Sarawak right?).

You can buy it for a small fortune in some posh bars in Bangsar, which will give you a headache..but this is the real deal, served in a reused Tiger Beer bottle with a plastic cap!

It’s from Kadazan culture I’m led to believe.

Kadazan culture is heavily influenced by the farming of rice, culminating in various delicacies and alcoholic drinks prepared through differing home-brewed fermentation processes. Tapai and lihing are the main rice wine variants served and consumed in Kadazan populated areas, and are a staple of Kadazan social gatherings and ceremonies.

Pat dishing out the goods, the dirty liquor pimp.

Had trouble remembering the name because of the creative labelling.

Lot’s of glasses, yay!

It’s pretty smooth stuff, it doesn’t taste very strong, but kinda gently knocks your head off and leaves you feeling nicely warm and fuzzy.

It’s got a tangy aftertaste, I guess it’s like a much stronger version of Toddy.

i’m a sabahan, not a local brew expert, but i’ve sampled (and sometimes drank too much) the most popular local brews. this is my take:

tapai a.k.a kinomol: least powerful, although its strength depends on a whole lot of things. Also, tapai is not necessarily brewed with rice as the main ingredient: i’ve heard it done with pineapples. personally i like tapai best served as a “tumpung” – in a huge mug created with used plastic cooking oil container + straw. It’s like your own personal “sosopon.”